In addition to the dramas and horror films that became references for the studio, the A24 also has a very interesting portfolio of documentaries involving names such as Amy Winehouse, Brian De Palma, Noah Baumbach, Steve McQueen, Steve Martin, Val Kilmes and the NBA star Stephen Curry.
Whether in political stories or more personal portraits, the documentaries produced by the studio also attract the attention of major streaming channels, with productions occupying the grid of Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ It is Max.
We have separated the five best or most interesting ones that show this variety in the studio’s catalog.
Amy (2015)
It’s hard to imagine that Back to Blackthe musical biopic about Amy Winehouse that premieres in 2024 in theaters, manages to do justice to the brief period of time that the singer was present on radio, streaming and stages. Amydirected by Asif Kapadia – great Senna – is a painful portrait of one of the biggest music stars of the last 20 years. Amy loved too much and expected the same from some she never did. The ordeal involving her relationship with her father, her husband and the media humanizes the diva who dominated the stage to the extreme.
Where to watch: Available to rent and purchase on Apple TV
Boys State (2020)
How many times have you heard the phrase “there are only old people in politics” or the famous phrase “the future of this country is in the hands of young people”. The excellent Boys State takes these two maxims and puts them to the test by putting young boys between 16 and 18 years old to form political parties, elect candidates from among them and set up government platforms. The documentary is a fascinating exercise in the force that “old politics” exerts on the formation of young people and even those who call themselves liberals will eventually also be put against the wall to take questionable actions. A new vision, from the same directors, called Girls State is now available on Apple TV+.
Where to watch: Available streaming on Apple TV+
Occupied City (2023)
Strolling through modern-day Amsterdam and telling stories of the Nazi occupation of the city, Occupied City shines in the greatest moments of harmony. When the fusion between visual and sound, between past and present, generates a tune, it is capable of transcending time. With the indispensable help of assembling Xander Nijstenthe film by Steve McQueen achieves this both in the contrast of hearing about the abuse of Dutch girls while watching a children’s ballet class, and through the historical repetition of the unfortunate need to fight invaders — formerly the Nazis, more recently a virus.
Where to watch: Still unavailable in Brazil
De Palma (2015)
Sometimes you don’t need to invent it. Starting with the simple and direct title of the film directed by Jake Paltrow It is Noah Baumbach, From Palma it just needs to put the legendary New Hollywood director in focus and let him talk to entertain us. With interesting, fun, acidic and sometimes dark comments (adjectives easily transferred to his films) Brian De Palma goes through his filmography with the lightness of someone willing to talk about everything. For movie buffs, this is more than enough.
Directed by Morgan Neville (and not produced by Martin), STEVE! It doesn’t exactly reach the level of the best docs about stars, but neither is it a shallow exploration of what made, and still makes, its subject so interesting. Educated, but not majored, in philosophy, Martin is more than willing to speak with candor, perspective, and sincerity about the ups and downs of his personal and professional life, often laughing at the failures more than the successes. Neville makes some necessary formal deviations to keep the film comical and dynamic, inserting collages and animations to recreate and revisit moments. Nothing more just. It would be unacceptable to do something boring about one of the most entertaining men in the world.
Where to watch: Available for streaming on Apple TV+
Welcome to A24Week ! From April 22nd to 25th, the sister sites Omelet It is Chippu are strolling through the history of the hottest studio of the moment. In addition to remembering the main films, highlighting hidden gems and analyzing A24’s success, we will also launch a ranking of the studio’s 24 best films. You can follow everything on Omelete by clicking here, and on Chippu by clicking here.
Tags: A24 studios documentaries
